The Miami Dolphins lost to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday 31-17.
The banged-up Dolphins were unable to generate enough offense to win the game, as Miami self-admittedly played a sloppy football game, and that’s rarely going to get a win against a Super Bowl contender like the Eagles.
On Monday, we took time to grade every position group from the Dolphins’ loss, from quarterback to special teams.
Quarterbacks: B
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had a difficult job on Sunday, and he finished the night completing 23 of 32 passes for 216 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Tagovailoa played well in spots, especially considering he was without a larger portion of his offensive line, the running game wasn’t able to give him much help and he was without star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle for a chunk of time.
The big reason Tagovailoa didn’t receive an “A” is when the game was on the line in the fourth quarter he threw an interception. As the MVP candidate that he’s proven he can be, he wasn’t as good as he could be.
Running Backs: C
The running backs struggled to make an impact in the game. Raheem Mostert rushed nine times for 45 yards. While he averaged five yards per carry, this stat is skewed by a 21-yard rush.
Aside from his big run, Mostert and the rest of the group found little success. Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. each had a catch.
This result wasn’t far from pre-game expectations, as the Dolphins were without key members of the offensive line, and the Eagles’ front seven is one of the best in the game.
Wide Receivers: B+
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill had an off night for his standards, which is nuts because his numbers would be above average for almost any other NFL receiver, as he finished with 11 receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown.
While Hill had a great touchdown catch on an excellent throw from Tagovailoa, his most notable play came on a key third down in the third quarter. Uncharacteristically, Hill dropped a potential touchdown pass from Tagovailoa.
Unfortunately, Jaylen Waddle hurt his back near the start of the game, but he somehow managed to finish it out with six receptions for 63 yards.
Cedrick Wilson Jr. brought in two great catches for 48 yards.
Tight Ends: C
No tight end registered a target on Sunday. The group received a “C” grade because they also couldn’t help block in the run game or help in the passing game.
Offensive Line: C-
The offensive line may have had their worst outing of the season with the group dealing with several injuries to key members.
The unit struggled to create holes in the run game, as the Dolphins only managed to rush for 45 yards on the ground.
Tagovailoa found himself under pressure for a majority of the game from the Eagles’ pass rush as well, with the offensive line giving up three sacks, and they could’ve given up several more.
Defensive Line: B-
The defensive line made some solid stops but had some brutal penalties. The group’s biggest problem was they were unable to stop the “Brotherly Shove” or “Tush Push” that the Eagles use to get one yard on crucial downs.
Defensive lineman Christian Wilkins struggled on the inside at times, as he was able to get a quarterback hit and six total tackles along with a big fumble recovery in Eagles’ territory.
Zack Sieler and Raekwon Davis were quiet on the stat sheet.
Linebackers: A
The linebackers are the only group to get into the “A” range today. David Long Jr. may have had his best game as a Dolphin, as he made crucial tackles in the run game and a solid tipped pass on Jalen Hurts.
Jerome Baker led the team with 11 total tackles and made, perhaps, the best play of the day for the Dolphins. Baker caught a ball tipped by teammate Kader Kohou and returned it for a touchdown.
Bradley Chubb had an excellent day, consistently putting pressure on the quarterback, as he finished the game with two sacks and seven tackles. He was also able to force a fumble on one of his sacks, which was recovered by the Dolphins.
Jaelan Phillips also had a sack on the night.
Cornerbacks: B
This group performed well considering the injuries they’ve endured. Eli Apple was up and down throughout the night. There were times when his man beat him for big gains, but he also had two passes defensed.
Kader Kohou had a good day for the most part. He had six solo tackles and a pass defensed. There was only one time when his man beat him deep for a large gain. Kohou also missed an important tackle on wide receiver A.J. Brown which led to an Eagles touchdown.
Safeties: B-
The safeties had a decent day. They did a good job not allowing too much deep. There was a play towards the end of the game where safety DeShon Elliot got beat deep along with Kohou by Brown.
Jevon Holland was injured during the third quarter but was able to come back into the game. He finished the game with six total tackles.
Special Teams: B-
Jason Sanders made all of the kicks he attempted, including one field goal.
Braxton Berrios had solid kickoff and punt returns.
Punter Jake Bailey punted three times for 135 yards. He had one punt land inside the 20-yard line, and his longest punt went 59 yards.
